Oak Puritan Baroque

[phono-phan]

I was able to bring this home yesterday.  I have  had one of these models before but this one has all the metal parts nickel plated.  I also can't figure out the little drop arm on the tone arm and the bracket below it on the motor board.  It has been refinished and they saved the decal.  The overall condition is pretty good.  Does anyone know what the drop arm is on the tone arm?  Also, does anyone have any documentation of this model coming with nickel plated parts?

[BenL]

The arm would go on the other side of the catch. Originally, its purpose was to help "reset" the arm for the auto-stop. The arm would push against the catch to move it over, so when you placed the needle in the final groove of the record it would make contact with the auto-stop arm, rather than having to push the arm itself, similar to the auto-stops on some Sonoras. It does appear the auto-stop itself is missing?
 

I remember when this machine popped up in the Facebook group, with the owner looking to sell it. I was curious if the arm was original, as it's an early- to mid-1920s supplier arm, around the time production ended for Puritan, about 1922–1923. I have seen Puritans with these similar early- to mid-1920s arms, which makes me wonder if they were installed at the factory late in production just to use up the remaining stock, or if they were added later in an attempt to update them. Still, if it was added later, it seems like a lot of work to also add the catch but not the auto-stop itself. Are there any signs underneath the turntable that it was removed?
 

17,835 does seem like a high serial number. J.D. Skattebo has supposedly compiled many UPC serial numbers, but not to sound critical, it does seem like a bit of hyperbole to me.